Collaborations have always been an essential component of successful small business marketing, but after the unexpected challenges of 2020, the strategy has taken on even more importance.
As small business struggles to stay profitable in the midst the pandemic, teaming up with other small business in their community is not only smart and cost-effective but can provide the needed morale boost we all need to move confidently into 2021.
Business collaboration can take many forms. Companies may co-sponsor a special event, jointly market compatible products, or even team up to offer the same deep discount during a specific period.
There are many ways to join forces with your colleagues – but who should you choose?
Who to Collaborate With
Small Business Saturday is one example of a collaborative effort that has been adopted across the nation. The original idea came from small businesses wishing to draw some attention away from big box stores around the holiday season.
They highlighted not only the unique gifts and exceptional customer service of a local business but also the feel-good benefit of supporting your community, friends, and neighbors who own these shops. While now adopted nationally, the spirit of the original collaboration remains the same and also answers the question – who should you collaborate with?
Businesses with similar goals – that is, to draw attention back to shopping locally and away from online – are natural collaboration partners.
You may also wish to find tangential services that you can co-market. For instance, a kayak rental shop may offer guests discounts at small local hotels; or a bait shop may sell fishing poles and lures from a local manufacturer.
Even if there is no natural correlation, two business owners can find creative ways to work together – such as a hardware store giving out free pastries to promote the bakery next door.
You can also collaborate with people in the same shopping mall or downtown area to promote an event for the community, driving traffic to your stores.
Main Street vendors often collaborate to have a holiday celebration where each store hands out cookies and hot chocolate, Santa Claus walks up and down the street – and they each offer special holiday sales and gift items.
These events can be scheduled throughout the year, incorporating different themes and events.
Even natural competitors can team up for the mutual benefit, such as many local restaurants offering a 20% discount on the same, heavily promoted night.
Online Collaborations
Social media collaborations have gained momentum over the last few years, and if successful, achieve the desired goal of more followers and traffic to their pages. These are especially popular on Instagram, where 10 or 15 vendors or social media influencers will join together to offer a significant prize or cash award.
All someone has to do to enter is visit each page and follow it – giving each contributor another set of eyes on their page.
Facebook is also a great local collaboration tool. Many more people will see advertisements, announcements, and content posted for a collaborative event or sale. For instance, if the bakery and the hardware store both post the same information to their respective pages, the hardware store’s followers learn about the bakery.
The bakery’s clientele is exposed to the hardware store. Everyone involved multiplies exposure and likely gains followers and, hopefully, clients.
If you aren’t sure where to begin, think of the local business owners you already know and enjoy working with. Ask them if they are interested in joint marketing, and then put your heads together!
If you are located in a strip mall or on downtown Main Street, approach them with event ideas designed to drive traffic.
If you see people online that have fun and compatible product marketing to yours, contact them! The possibilities are endless.
Have you participated in imaginative, collaborative marketing campaigns? Tell us about them! We’d love to share your ideas.
Collaborations have always been an essential component of successful small business marketing, but after the unexpected challenges of 2020, the strategy has taken on even more importance.
As small business struggles to stay profitable in the midst the pandemic, teaming up with other small business in their community is not only smart and cost-effective but can provide the needed morale boost we all need to move confidently into 2021.
Business collaboration can take many forms. Companies may co-sponsor a special event, jointly market compatible products, or even team up to offer the same deep discount during a specific period.
There are many ways to join forces with your colleagues – but who should you choose?
Who to Collaborate With
Small Business Saturday is one example of a collaborative effort that has been adopted across the nation. The original idea came from small businesses wishing to draw some attention away from big box stores around the holiday season.
They highlighted not only the unique gifts and exceptional customer service of a local business but also the feel-good benefit of supporting your community, friends, and neighbors who own these shops. While now adopted nationally, the spirit of the original collaboration remains the same and also answers the question – who should you collaborate with?
Businesses with similar goals – that is, to draw attention back to shopping locally and away from online – are natural collaboration partners.
You may also wish to find tangential services that you can co-market. For instance, a kayak rental shop may offer guests discounts at small local hotels; or a bait shop may sell fishing poles and lures from a local manufacturer.
Even if there is no natural correlation, two business owners can find creative ways to work together – such as a hardware store giving out free pastries to promote the bakery next door.
You can also collaborate with people in the same shopping mall or downtown area to promote an event for the community, driving traffic to your stores.
Main Street vendors often collaborate to have a holiday celebration where each store hands out cookies and hot chocolate, Santa Claus walks up and down the street – and they each offer special holiday sales and gift items.
These events can be scheduled throughout the year, incorporating different themes and events.
Even natural competitors can team up for the mutual benefit, such as many local restaurants offering a 20% discount on the same, heavily promoted night.
Online Collaborations
Social media collaborations have gained momentum over the last few years, and if successful, achieve the desired goal of more followers and traffic to their pages. These are especially popular on Instagram, where 10 or 15 vendors or social media influencers will join together to offer a significant prize or cash award.
All someone has to do to enter is visit each page and follow it – giving each contributor another set of eyes on their page.
Facebook is also a great local collaboration tool. Many more people will see advertisements, announcements, and content posted for a collaborative event or sale. For instance, if the bakery and the hardware store both post the same information to their respective pages, the hardware store’s followers learn about the bakery.
The bakery’s clientele is exposed to the hardware store. Everyone involved multiplies exposure and likely gains followers and, hopefully, clients.
If you aren’t sure where to begin, think of the local business owners you already know and enjoy working with. Ask them if they are interested in joint marketing, and then put your heads together!
If you are located in a strip mall or on downtown Main Street, approach them with event ideas designed to drive traffic.
If you see people online that have fun and compatible product marketing to yours, contact them! The possibilities are endless.
Have you participated in imaginative, collaborative marketing campaigns? Tell us about them! We’d love to share your ideas.